Description and Brand Names

US Brand Name

PEG-Intron

Peg Intron RP

Sylatron

Descriptions

Peginterferon alfa-2b injection is a synthetic (man-made) version of substances normally produced in the body to fight infection. Peginterferon alfa-2b injection is used alone or together with ribavirin and another drug called a hepatitic C virus (HCV) NS3/4A protease inhibitor (such as telaprevir or boceprevir) to treat chronic hepatitis C infection. It is used for patients who have never been treated by alpha interferons. The combination treatment of peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin is used to treat adults and children 3 years of age and older who show symptoms of liver damage.

Peginterferon alfa-2b injection is also used to prevent malignant melanoma (a type of skin cancer) from coming back after it has been removed by surgery. This medicine should be started within 84 days of surgery to remove lymph nodes containing cancer.

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Once a medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although these uses are not included in product labeling, peginterferon alfa-2b is used in certain patients with the following medical condition: